Assam to Establish ISRO Advanced Radar Research Centre

The foundation stone for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Advanced Radar Research Centre was laid at Chandrapur near Guwahati in Assam on 21 September 2026. The centre is being developed under Project NETRA, which stands for Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis, and it is linked to India’s space situational awareness framework.

Project NETRA

Project NETRA is ISRO’s programme for space object tracking and analysis. The project covers detection of satellites, debris, and other objects in orbit, along with orbit determination and collision-avoidance support.

The ISRO Space Situational Awareness Control Centre in Bengaluru, established in 2020, functions as the central hub for activities under Project NETRA. The centre coordinates space-object tracking and related alert systems for Indian space assets.

Radar Centre in Assam

The proposed facility at Chandrapur is intended to strengthen India’s radar-based tracking capacity. The project site covers about 67 acres of land, and one land record mentions 200 bighas, which is about 6.61 acres, as allotted by the Assam government.

The centre is expected to track objects as small as 10 cm within a range of 2,000 km. The project has been linked with an estimated investment of about ₹1,000 crore and a completion timeline of around one year.

Space Situational Awareness

Space situational awareness is the monitoring of objects in Earth orbit, including active satellites, defunct satellites, and debris. The field includes tracking, orbit prediction, conjunction assessment, and collision-avoidance alerts.

India’s space situational awareness system supports the protection of satellites used for communication, navigation, Earth observation, and scientific missions. Radar and optical systems are both used in global space surveillance networks.

Important Facts for Exams

• Project NETRA is ISRO’s Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis.
• The ISRO Space Situational Awareness Control Centre is located in Bengaluru and was established in 2020.
• Space debris includes non-functional satellites, spent rocket stages, and fragments from break-ups or collisions.
• Radar systems can detect and track objects in orbit even when optical visibility is limited.

Chandrapur is located near Guwahati in Assam. The project land transfer was completed in November 2023, and final registration was completed on 7 November 2025.